We are a country of animal lovers. And the pets we have aren’t limited to cats and dogs.
According to the American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey, 79.7 million U.S. households owned a pet in 2014, and in that same year, 5.4 million households owned a small animal such as a guinea pig, mouse, rat, etc.
Pets like hamsters, mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and chinchillas can make great family additions. But it’s important to understand what it takes to have these kinds of pets. Just because you don’t have to walk them on a leash doesn’t mean they won’t require special care and attention.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas
If you think these adorable pets are less of a commitment than a dog or cat, think again. Rabbits can live up to 15 years, guinea pigs up to 10 and chinchillas up to 20.
“(All three require) specialized diets that include loose hay and veggies,” said Angela Carrigan of Orange County-based Rabbit and Pocket Pet Education (rabbitadoption.org). “This can be expensive, and hay can be hard to find in urban areas. (All three need) at least two to three hours minimum (a day) of time outside their habitat. Rabbits must be spayed or neutered.”
These pets shouldn’t be kept in small cages. Caroline Charland, founder of The Bunny Bunch (bunnybunch.org) rabbit, guinea pig and chinchilla rescue, which has an adoption center in Fountain Valley, says rabbits need at least a 4-by-6-foot exercise pen, guinea pigs a 4-by-3-foot plastic-bottom cage and chinchillas a three- to four-story cage with ledges – chinchillas are high jumpers. Because they all require playtime out of their habitats, it’s also important to chew-proof your home. They will all need special toys designed for their specific needs, and it is also highly recommended that they be kept in pairs or trios.
Kay McCarley, president of Orange County rabbit rescue Save SomeBunny (savesomebunny.org), says a pet rabbit has to be handled carefully and always under supervision. Though they can be very affectionate, rabbits can bite.
“They’re delicate creatures with very a fragile bone structure,” she said. “They don’t bark and they don’t meow, so when they want to tell you something, it might be with a nip.”
Hamsters, mice and rats
The lifespan of a hamster is, on average, 18 months, and they need extra-large cages, not the miniature-type cages often sold for them, Carrigan said. Dwarf hamsters should be kept in pairs or trios, but Syrian (teddy bear) hamsters must live alone.
“They require quality diets – too often the bulk mixes sold in the pet store is not healthy for them,” she said of hamsters, as well as mice and rats.
“It takes research to make sure that all items purchased are not harmful.”
Rats live two to three years, and mice live one to two years on average, according to Karen Robbins, president of the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association in Riverside (afrma.org).
Since rats are social animals, they’ll need one or two same-sex, same-age buddies and a roomy wire cage with covered shelves to absorb their urine when they mark.
Robbins described rats as more doglike than mice and needing to be handled more than other small pets.
If you want less handling, a mouse is a better choice, Robbins said.
Male mice don’t get along and have a strong musky odor, so are less popular as pets, she said. Female mice do best in groups of three or more. Hamsters, rats and mice need special chew toys, wheel toys and weekly cage cleanings.
Mindy VanNeck, rescue coordinator for the Orange County-based Furry Friends Orphanage (rmca.org), part of the Rat & Mouse Club of America, recommends that mice live in good-sized wire cages with bar spacing large enough to allow air flow but not large enough to allow the mice through.
Food for rats and mice includes laboratory-grade blocks available as compressed food and nutrients, or you can make your own mix.
“Be sure to have some time set aside each day to interact with them,” VanNeck said. “The more you interact with them, the more they know you and respond. Yes, they will even learn their names.”
